Meet Maryland lineman commitment Moise Larose

Matt BrackenThe Baltimore Sun

After watching Wilde Lake lineman Moise Larose dominate both sides of the ball against Reservoir, Maryland coach Randy Edsall walked down from the stands and posed a simple question to Wildecats coach Michael Harrison.

“Coach Edsall’s first comment to me was, ‘Is he a defensive player or an offensive player?’ I sort of turned around and said, ‘Coach, that’s really your concern. That’s not mine anymore,’” Harrison recalled with a laugh.

Larose, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound senior, starred for the Wildecats this fall at offensive tackle and on the defensive line. The Terps recruited the former Rutgers commitment for the O-line, but Harrison thinks the Maryland coaching staff won’t make a final determination on where Larose plays until fall camp.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Harrison said. “It’s a situation where the kid plays at such a high level on both sides of the football, it’s hard for me to be able to say. Certainly, he has a tremendous amount of potential on both sides.”

Larose, who has played more offense than defense during his football career, said he’d probably prefer playing on Maryland’s D-line, but ultimately “it doesn’t matter” to the Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection.

“On defense, you can go crazy and wild, and on offense, it’s the fact that you can smack the person across the line of scrimmage without knowing what’s ahead,” Larose said. “[The ability to play both positions shows] that I’m diverse. That’s the big thing. And for me to have such an accomplishment is a blessing. I’ve always dreamed I was going to be that way.”

Harrison thinks Larose, who finished his senior season with 81 tackles (33 solo), 15 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and two batted down passes, will be an asset to Maryland no matter where the coaches ultimately decide to put him.

“He puts pressure on the quarterback,” Harrison said. “He may not [always] get to the quarterback, [but he’s good at] disrupting throws, creating [a situation where the] quarterback has to move in the pocket. He’s very good at doing that. He played the run very well this year as well. Offensively, he’s a tremendous run blocker. The same things he brings to the defensive side are advantages on the offensive side. He plays tackle for us, and when you’ve got two 6-5-inch arms, it’s a long way to run around him to get to the QB. He didn’t give up a sack this year. He’s very good in pass-blocking and he was certainly, for us, a tremendous run-blocker. That’s a good quandary to have.”

Favorite TV show: SportsCenterFavorite food: PizzaFavorite high school class: Forensic scienceOther high school sports: “I used to play basketball, but not anymore.”Hobbies: “Playing basketball. Playing video games.”Intended major: Forensic science, criminal justice Something that not many people know about you: “My real name is [pronounced] Mo-eece. But everybody calls me Moses. It doesn’t matter what you call me.”Best football moment: “Playing my first game when I was back in Florida. I was in the fifth grade.”Role model: “Kevin Durant. It’s because he’s a humble person. That’s what I want to be known as – someone who’s humble and not cocky. I hate cocky people. [I like] the way his demeanor is.”Why Maryland? “The school. They’re pretty known in the field of forensic science. And they’re nearby; they’re close so my family can come watch me play.”